


Slice of a Moment

by koanju (verstehen)



Category: Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce, Tamora Pierce - Tortall series
Genre: F/M, Yuletide, challenge:Yuletide 2008, recipient:Sin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-16
Updated: 2010-09-16
Packaged: 2017-10-11 21:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/117367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verstehen/pseuds/koanju
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kel grinned brilliantly as she folded her spyglass. "Open the gates, we've got incoming," she shouted down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slice of a Moment

  


## Slice of a Moment

  
Fandom: [Tamora Pierce - Tortall series](http://yuletidetreasure.org/get_fandom_quicksearch.cgi?Fandom=Tamora%20Pierce%20-%20Tortall%20series)

  
Written for: Sin in the Yuletide 2008 Challenge

by [Koanju](http://yuletidetreasure.org/cgi-bin/contact.cgi?filename=82/sliceof)  


Kel grinned brilliantly as she folded her spyglass. "Open the gates, we've got incoming," she shouted down. Neal was heading over to meet her from the infirmary and she moved to join him; for all his attempts to seem disconnected and cool, Neal was a real worrywart. "All friendly," she told him. "Very friendly," she continued, thinking of a rider in particular.

"Don't tell me," Neal started, eyes drifting over to where the gates were being raised to let the new settlers in.

"All right, I won't. Sir Meathead," Kel teased her oldest friend. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Did it look like we had any injuries?"

While the Scanrans had mostly given up their tactical hits on their territory now that the Nowhere Man had been taken care of, there had still been some heavy raiding by clans throughout the summer. The lands around New Hope were mountainous, which meant little in the way of viable farmland that wouldn't need hard work to be reclaimed. The residents of New Hope and those that came to establish villages and populate the border, all realized that.  
Kel respected people who weren't afraid of a little hard work.

"Didn't seem that way," she told Neal easily. "But there were a few wagons, not everyone was on foot. You might as well prep the infirmary for small cases and the check-up. They're not moving swift enough for anyone to be seriously injured."

Neal nodded and turned to go before stopping. "Was Yuki with them?"

"Yes, and pretty as the day you met her," Kel told her dryly. As insufferable as love made Neal, it was nice to see him settling down. It had been a while since he'd been able to see Yuki. She'd written Lord Wyldon about Neal getting a post closer to the capital so he could actually spend more than a few weeks here and there with his wife. Wyldon had promised to do what he could, but there wasn't another healer with Neal's capabilities as a knight available yet.

Apparently it was possible to be just a little _too_ competent.

"Go on, Neal," she gave him a little push. "I'll send her over to you right away." Neal did as he was told with a small smile on his face.

As for Kel, she was looking forward to seeing the man who was leading the procession. She made her way to the gates of New Hope to wait for the arrival, gesturing to one of her sergeants to round up a squad for escort. There wasn't much chance of a raid taking place, but the Scanrans had been getting more desperate as winter got closer. There probably wasn't enough food to go around, even with Blayce and Stedmun gone and not requisitioning all resources any more.

"Ready, my lady," Sergeant Haxor said, coming to stand next to her. "Your orders?"

"We wait for sightings before we move out. There's plenty of guards sitting out there, not to mention cover. I don't want any risk to our people if they can handle it."

"That's Sergeant Domitian out there, innit?" he asked, grinning. She grinned right back and nodded. "Right, then, we'll have it easy even if the Scanrans decide they want to play."

Kel laughed quietly and motioned for him to inform the squad.

The rest of the time was just waiting. She'd never realized - until Haven - how much a commander's job was just... waiting. Waiting and planning and changing that plan when the waiting produced an action (hopefully one the commander had been expecting). Even something as simple as new arrivals produced quite a bit of _hurry up and wait_.

Eventually, the caravan made its way inside. Kel gave Dom a quick, but wide, smile and turned to sort out the new refugees and handing them over to the capable hands of her council to get them orientated. Once done, she could properly address both Yuki and Dom, who were standing aside and watching the show. Kel resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the amusement on both of their faces.

"You've become quite the mother, Lady Knight," Dom teased.

"When has Kel _not_ been competent at something?" Yuki asked easily, the question obviously meant to be rhetorical.

Dom gave her a knowing grin at that and Kel felt her face flush and what she _knew_ he was thinking. "Yuki, Neal's just in the infirmary. He's been pining."

"Then I suppose it is up to me to save him from himself." Yuki bowed politely to them both and set off toward the infirmary at a quick pace.

"Apparently Sir Meathead isn't the only one pining," Dom observed as they watched her go. "So how are you, Kel?" he asked quietly, voice serious.

She smiled at him and started walking toward the command center and her office, trusting him to follow. "All the better for your visit." The words came out less teasing than she'd meant them, but a quick look at Dom's face showed he didn't mind. "Any messages?"

"A few, mostly from Wyldon. And one from my lord, as well." Dom lightly touched the small of her back, as they walked, almost a guiding touch, before letting go.

Kel swallowed briefly. "A fairly typical dispatch, then. Do you know if we're going to get more people before the winter hits?"

"I don't think so. Except for around here, the raids have mostly stopped," he reported, holding the door open. "I've got a week, this time, before I need to report back."

"He's being generous," she observed, raising her eyebrows.

Dom laughed and as soon as the door shut, reached over to thread his fingers into her short hair, tugging her closer. Her stomach twisted the way it always did when she felt his body heat mingling with hers, his breath on her lips. "What do you expect? You are my lord's favorite."

Kel rolled her eyes at him and pulled him in for a proper kiss.

   
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